The presence led life is such an adventure! When God led Abraham out away from his family and home, he wasn’t sure where he was headed, it was to a city chosen by God. When we left our home in Fort Worth to return to New England two years ago, we felt very much like that. We didn’t know where exactly where we were headed. God bless our realtor who listened as we shared our vision months before...”it’s a place of prayer...not sure where in New England, not sure how much money we have to spend...” We put the pieces together during that search and began to realize where and what it wasn’t as much as what it was. Many times it seems like we are putting a puzzle together for a water picture and we had all BLUE pieces!!!! As God leads, and we listen and follow His voice our path gets brighter and brighter, clearer and clearer!
John 16 is clear that we are His sheep, and His sheep know His voice. The world doesn’t recognize Him, it says, but YOU do, because He lives in you! What an honor it is to have Christ IN us! Guiding, leading, directing our lives, connecting the dots so that we can see the full picture!
This week I was in California for meetings. One connection led to another and a conversation over lunch reminded me that the area I was in was where I had ministered 30 years ago, and visited Prayer Mountain of Scotts Valley. There Steve and I met the founder of Fasting Prayer Mountain, Jong Sook Choe. We were impacted so greatly by that place of prayer from the moment we bowed our heads to greet her. The presence of God completely saturated us, and took us into a realm of prayer that was new to us at the time. We began to pray out His plan for Prayer Mountain there, they for us...it was like an open heaven on that mountain of prayer.
She and her comrades from Korea insisted that we join them on a trip to Korea they’d be taking that summer. We thought it would be nice, but as the days and weeks went by, we bore witness we were to go. Led by God’s spirit, we began to make preparations and truly right up until the time we were getting on the airplane, God was making provision for us.
The trip impacted us in so many ways, but more than any other to witness the fervency of prayer in the lives of the Korean people. What we pictured as a small chapel at the place they called Prayer Mountain was actually built in the shape and size of Noah’s Ark, and had up to 10,000 people there for prayer (and that was in 1986!) Located outside of Seoul, it was a place people “stepped out of the traffic” to seek God, and fast and pray for breakthroughs.
We had an encounter with God there, and came away knowing we needed a place like that in New England...a place to come apart to hear from God. When we brought it up to our heavenly Father, He agreed and then told us WE were going to establish it!!!! That was 30 years ago!
So fast forward to this week....I realize I am in the area. I lost touch with these Korean sisters years ago. I left them last on top of a mountain with one small house that served as a prayer chapel. When I realized I was so close, I knew God was leading me to go. A pastor friend agreed to drive me and we went again to Fasting Prayer Mountain but this time the road was paved, the buildings were abundant from chapels to prayer cabins, and the properties were landscaped with the most beautiful gardens. Best of all, Jong Sook Chloe, now in her 80’s was there, and what light showed up on her face when she saw me, “I remember YOU,” she said. I burst into tears telling her how her life had impacted ours, and now we had a place of prayer too on the East Coast. I felt the synergy of connecting with her again with a vision that went from coast to coast, as God raises up houses of prayer all over our nation.
The weaving of God’s story in your life is as amazing as mine. We make connections that are divine, for specific times and seasons. God often brings us full circle as He did me this week, to see His weaving, and watch the growth of a vision, to reassure us again that He is the author and finisher of our faith, the God who is working a powerful plan in the earth and has given us the honor of participating in His well-thought out plans.
Oh, the presence-led life...what adventures are in store! If you are hungering and thirsting for more, step into the waters and pray by the spirit. He will unfold mysteries and unveil plans, all that His hand will orchestrate over time. He will show you things to come, and see to it that it’s done by His mighty power! So walk with Him, work with Him...learn His unforced rhythms of Grace and understand and know YOU have a place in the Master plan.